Township of Blandford-Blenheim celebrated the grand opening of the new Princeton Fire Station #81 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and community barbecue on Saturday, August 22, 2026.
The 9,800 square-foot facility features three specialized apparatus bays equipped with dedicated gear-washing and storage areas, a multi-use meeting and training room, designated staff and chief offices, an internal kitchen, modern utility systems, site water reservoir and drainage accommodations.
During the event, local firefighters spent the morning giving friends, family and members of the public tours of the modern fire hall, with youngsters particularly eager to explore the various fire trucks lined up outside.
Following the tours, Township CAO Josh Brick commended everyone involved in making the new station a reality.
“I want to recognize Council for having the foresight to make this investment. Projects like this require a long-term community vision. This facility was built not simply to meet the needs of today, but to serve our firefighters and our community for decades to come,” he said. “I also wish to recognize the tremendous amount of work that took place behind the scenes to bring us to this morning. Township staff, our project partners, including our project engineer Nelson Dawley and his team, contractors, and others who worked to deliver this facility on time and on budget, while keeping disruption to the community at a minimum.”
Brick went on to acknowledge the volunteer firefighters of Blandford-Blenheim Fire services.
“This building is ultimately an investment in the people who give their time, their skills and their commitment to the community, and who are there for their neighbours when they need it the most,” he said. “Today is an opportunity to celebrate this new facility, but also to celebrate the people that will put it to work.”
After a few words from Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman, OFM Fire Protection Advisor Doug Kellam and Mayor Mark Peterson, Drew Davidson, Director of Fire Services and Fire Chief for the Township of Blandford-Blenheim, stood to address attendees.
“Today is much more than just opening the doors for a fire station. It’s about celebrating the investment in our community and the future of fire protection in Blandford-Blenheim. We recognize that the station was made possible through public funding; it was paid for with taxpayers’ money from the township, and we take that responsibility very, very seriously,” he told them. “From the beginning, our goal was to create a facility that would be lasting in value. Not something that just met the needs of today, but the future and generations to come. This is your fire station. It belongs to the people of Princeton; it belongs to the people of Blandford-Blenheim and it belongs to the people of Oxford County. We hope that everyone in our community feels a sense of pride when they see this building, and a sense of ownership when they drive by or come through the doors for any reason. It is an accomplishment that we hold dear to our hearts and that we take seriously.”
Noting that the world of fire service has continued to evolve over the years, Davidson went on to say that the new hall has been designed with long-term health and safety in mind, keeping clean and contaminated areas separated on either side of the station.
“This new station represents a new standard in firefighter health and safety,” he said. “What we have now, we have learned through our retired firefighters and through the people that we’ve lost from cancer. Between the dirty side and keeping our gear over where it’s protected to the apparatus bay, and the clean side with training facilities, this hall represents what we have learned over the years and where we are going in the future.”
Before the ribbon cutting ceremony and barbecue officially got under way, Davidson took one last moment to thank the firefighters for their service, and their families for their understanding.
“Our firefighters give tremendous amounts of time and effort to our community. They leave their families when the pagers go off. It doesn’t matter if it’s during the day, evening, holidays or weekends, severe weather or difficult times, they always respond,” he said. “…I would like to thank the firefighters’ families, both past and present. Allowing us to spend time training and responding to those calls, it takes a toll. To the spouses, children and extended family members, thank you for allowing us to do what we truly love.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
